Vaali was born in a Tamil
Iyengar brahmin family as T. S. Rangarajan on 29 October 1931 to Srinivasan Iyengar and Ponnammal Iyengar. His native place is
Thirupparaithurai,
Tiruchirappalli district. Growing up, he studied at
Higher Secondary School for Boys, Srirangam, Srirangam till he finished his SSLC. He went to
Madras in 1950 seeking an opportunity in the Tamil film industry. In the 1960s and 1970s, he received patronage from actor
M. G. Ramachandran and became a successful lyricist, in competition with poet
Kannadasan, which he had chronicled in his autobiography
Naanum Indha Nootrandum. Vaali has also authored other books such as
Avathara Purushan,
Pandavar Bhoomi,
Ramanuja Kaviyam,
Krishna Vijayam,
Thamizh Kadavul,
Kalaignar Kaviyam,
Krishna Bhakthan and
Vaaliba vaali. His song "Amma Endru Azhaikatha Uyir Illaiye" is carved in the stone in a temple in
Trichy. He wrote songs for
M. G. Ramachandran in 64 films and also for
Sivaji Ganesan in 80 films. He wrote more than 15000 songs in Tamil films. He died on 18 July 2013 in
Chennai, following respiratory illness, at the age of 82. ==Awards==